Handrail for moving stairways



Dec. 11, 1951 Filed March 27, 1950 W. F. MASEK HANDRAIL FOR MOVINGSTAIRWAYS 2 SHEETSSHEET l INVENTOR. -WALTER F, MASEK AT TOR N EY.

Dec. 11, 1951 w. F. MASEK 2,578,567

HANDRAIL FOR MOVING STAIRWAYS Filed March 27, 1950 2 SZ-IEETSSHEET 2INVENTORZ WALTER F. MASEK AT TORNEY- Patented Dec. 11,1951

HANDRAIL FOR MOVING STAIRWAYS Walter F. Masek, Richmond, Ind.,assignorto Multiscope, Inc., Coifeyville, Kans., a corporation of KansasApplication March 27, 1950, Serial No. 152,030

4 Claims.

This invention relates generally to hand rails for moving Stairways.

In my copending application, Serial No. 663,223, now Patent No.2,545,741, granted March 20, 1951, there is disclosed a hand rail for amoving stairway, which consists essentially of short lengths ofspring-wound wire, mounted upon and operated by a roller chain. Thechain is located on the inside of the orbit of the hand rail so that, asthe hand rail traverses curves, the adjacent coils of spring spreadapart more at the outer radius than at the inner radius. While, in theordinary situation, a hand rail of this type when traversing a curve isenclosed or concealed so that fingers are not likely to become caughtand pinched between adjacent coils of the rail, there are nonethelessmany circumstances of installation in which it is preferable to have thehand rail exposed at regions where it is curving.

The object of the present invention, generally stated, is to provide ahand rail for moving stairways, in which the structure responds tomovement about a curve in like manner to that in which a coil-springhand rail responds, but wherein the likelihood of fingers becomingpinched between the coils is practically eliminated.

Other objects will become apparent to those skilled in the art when thefollowing description is read in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a section of hand railconstructed in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged detail view of the section embraced by circle Ain Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail view of the section embraced by circle Bin Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the hand rail at the regionof mounting the same upon the drive chain;

Figure 5 is an enlarged sectional view of the region embraced by circleC in Figure 4; and

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken along line 6-43 of Figure 1.

In accordance with the presert invention, the hand rail of the movingstairway is mounted upon and driven by a roller chain, as in my patentaforesaid. The exposed or hand-gripping surface of the hand rail isformed of a coiled strip whose exterior is formed on a very long radiusso that it is flat or nearly so. The coiled strip constitutes a sheathabout a flexible core which is suitably anchored to the driving chain.The present invention is characterized by the further feature that thesheathing strip is formed of a T-section and arranged with reference tothe core member so that the stems of the T- sections are received ingrooves about the outer periphery of the core. The heads of the T-devoid of inside curves (wherein the hand-grip surface is on a shorterradius than the driving chain), then the strips of sheath may abut eachother edgewise (when a given increment is straight). On the other hand,when there are inside curves and the strips of sheath abut each other atthe maximum inside curvature, they will be slightly spaced, whenstraight, and more spaced when on an outside curve.

A particular feature of the invention resides in the selection ofmaterials having different coefficients of friction against human flesh.Thus, where a hand is engaged with a section where there are gapsbetween adjacent coils of strip, some flesh may touch the core memberbelow and between the same. If, however, the core member be made ofrubber (which has a relatively high coefiicient of friction againstflesh) and the sheath be made of smooth metal (which has a lowcoefficient of friction against flesh), flesh in contact with bothmaterials is preferentially moved relative to the sheath. Consequently,relative movement between the sheath and core (as at increments ofchanging curvature) is not likely to result in pinching of flesh incontact with the rail.

Referring now to the drawings for an illustrative embodiment of theinvention, the hand rail is composed of a tubular member 1 formed ofrubber or other suitable flexible material capable of being cast ormolded. As shown, the tubular member I is formed with a helical groove 2extending about the exterior thereof. The inte rim of the member I isprovided with a helicai groove 3, the position of the groove 3 beingsuch that, as it progresses from end to end of the member I, the flightsof the groove 3 lie midway between the flights of groove 2. The flexiblemembers I are provided in short lengths as, for example, five inches,and arranged to be assembled end-to-end to form the hand rail.

The exterior surface of the tubular member I is provided with a metallicsheath consisting of a series of convolutions of T-shaped stock 4,arranged so that the stems of the Ts are received within the grooves 2.As shown in Figures 1, 2, and 4 of the drawings, the T-shaped stock 4 isproportioned with reference to the spacing between the convolutions ofgroove 2, so that the heads of the T-sections in adjacent convolutionsalmost touch edgewise. The amount of space 5 between the edges ofadjacent convolutions of the sheath depends, as aforesaid, upon thecurvatures involved in the orbit of the particular hand rail. In anyevent, there will be more of the member I exposed at space when a givenincrement of the rail is traversing an outside curve than when it istraveling rectilinearly or when it is traversing an inside curve. In acase where the orbit of the hand rail is devoid of inside curves, thespace 5 may be nil (at an increment which is traveling rectilinearly) Onthe other hand, where there are inside curves, the space at- 5 will benil when that increment is traversing the inside curve, and consequentlybe greaterv when that increment is traveling rectilinearly.

The possibility of pinching flesh prevails only when, due to thechanging curvature of the hand rail, the space 5 is reducing. Byproviding the exposed surface of the strips 4 of rounded but nearly fiatcontour, and by forming them of material having a lower coefficient offriction against flesh than that exhibited by the member I, flesh willreadily slide over the strips 4 and pinching be avoided.

In the particular embodiment shown in the drawings, the spacing at 5 issufficient to permit the hand rail to traverse reasonable inside, aswell as outside, curves. The relation of adjacent convolutions of strip4 to each other and to the flexible core member, when a given incrementis in rectilinear travel, is shown in Figure 2; their relation, when thegiven increment is traversing an outside curve, is shown in Figure 3;and their relation, when traversing an inside curve, is shown in Figure5.

Prior to assembling the tubular member I with its sheath, long strips ofT-shaped stock are helically wound and set to the desired radius,preferably being slightly less than the radius provided by the member I,so that there is an inherent tendency for the metallic strip 4 tocontract against, rather than to expand away from, the core I.

As indicated hereinbefore, it is preferable that short units of the coreand sheath be formed separately and then connected end-to-end to form acontinuous loop of the hand rail. In effecting the junction between theshort sections, a ring 6 is provided at each end of the short sectionand engages with both sections which are thereadjacent. Such a ring maybe provided with a helieally extending rib Y, shaped and propertioned tobe received within the internal groove 3 of the core members I. InFigure 4, the dotted jine 8 indicates the line of separation betweenadjacent sections of hand rail, it being observed that the rib l isinterlocked with groove 3 of the sections at each side thereof. From thering 6, a stud 9 extends radially and makes connection with a link ofthe drive chain It. In the embodiment shown, the connection is effectedthrough a shoe I! having a surface [2 formed to fit the exterior of thesheathing, strips 4 thereadjacent. It is to be noted that the stud 9 isdisposed directly in the projection path of the coil of strip from bothadjacent sections of hand rail. Consequently, the strip 4 of theleft-hand section shown in Figure 4 terminates at the near side of stud9, while the strip 4' of the right-hand section shown in Figure 4terminates at the far side or the stud 9.

From the foregoing description, those skilled in the art should readilyunderstand that the sheathed flexible hand rail herein disclosed notonly accomplishes its objects, but provides a hand rail whose physicalcharacteristics better meet the needs of the situation than one whereinthe hand rail consists of a coil of plain wire of circular section. Thestrip 4 may be folded from a fiat sheet or extruded in the T-shapeshown. In either event, the stems of the T-sections (extending radially)mechanically stiffen the composite structure in a very desirable waywithout interfering with the flexibility of the structure foraccomplishing curves.

While one embodiment of the invention has been disclosed in detail, itis not to be understood that the invention is limited to such details.On the contrary, it is believed that those skilled in the art willmodify and adapt the invention to meet the circumstances of variousapplications without departing from the spirit of the invention, andsuch is contemplated.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired to besecured by Letters Patent is:

l. A hand rail for a moving stairway comprising a helically woundT-section strip, and with the stem of the T extending into a centrallylocated core member.

2. In a hand rail of the character described having an endless chaindrive, hand rail sections joined end-to-end to form an endless loop connected with the chain drive at joints between the sections, saidsections having their external surface formed of a succession ofadjacent convolutions of T-section strip, and with the stem of the Textending inwardly into acentrally located core member.

3. In a hand rail of the character described having an endless chaindrive, hand rail sections joined end-to-end to form an endless loopconnected with the chain at joints between the sections, said sectionshaving a flexible core grooved on its exterior, and with rings ofT-section metal strip embracing said core with the stem of the Tinterfitting with the grooved part of the core.

4. A hand rail of the character described having an exposed surfaceconsisting predominantly of a succession of adjacent coaxially arrangedconvelutions of strip material having a low coefiicient of friction withhuman flesh, said convolutions being normally spaced so that the spacebetween the peripheral edges of adjacent convolutions is less than thedimension of saidconvolutions lengthwise of the hand rail, a core memberof resilient material within said series of convolutions and interlockedtherewith, portions of said core member being normally exposed betweenthe peripheral edges of adjacent convolutions and other portions of saidcore member adjacent said normally exposed portions and normallyunderlying the peripheral edges of said convolutions being occasionallyexposed, said normally exposed portions and said occasionally exposedportions of said core member being of the same radius and locatedradially within the peripheral edges of said convolutions.

WALTER F. MASEK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name- Date 669,528 Hutchinson Mar. 12, 1901899,933 Wheeler Sept. 29, 1908

